1. Technical Field
The present application is related to formation of micro-structures on molded articles and articles molded by the method.
2. Description of Related Art
Portable electronic devices (such as mobile phones and electronic notebooks) are in widespread use. The external appearance of the housing of the portable electronic device has become a key factor for attracting consumers.
The external appearance of the housing is often made by In-Mold Roller (IMR). The IMR process comprises: printing ink on a film to form an ink layer, positioning the film to correspond to the mold cavity of the a mold by a transporter, closing the mold, injecting plastic material into the mold cavity, opening the mold and separating the ink layer from the film. The film also comprises a separation layer and a hardening layer, both stripped from the molded article after opening the mold. Edges of the hardening layer are not flush with edges of the ink layer attached on the molded articles. Thickness of the hardening layer is usually less than five micrometer, so it is easily to be scratched. After being stripped off, the separation layer and the hardening layer can not be used again.
Therefore, a method providing a decoration layer having micro-structures on a molded article with lower cost and increased hardness is desired.